Adventist Health Bakersfield | You + Us | Winter 2018

7 Dr. Irani would do the surgery.” He actually dropped 35 pounds. “Dr. Irani was impressed I lost all that weight and said I was a good candidate for surgery.” A life he never expected Ryan had weight-loss surgery in December 2016. Over a year later, he has lost a whopping 200 pounds—and gained a new life. He has so much energy now that he finds it difficult to sit still, Ryan says. He’s grateful for the support of his wife but also for the caring staff at Adventist Health Bakersfield. Everyone was so friendly and supportive, he says. Ryan still attends support groups. He finds that hearing other weight- loss stories and challenges continues to help him on his journey. “It’s nice to hear the stories. Everybody When quality matters loses weight differently. Some people will do surgery and go back to their old eating habits. I try to help them and encourage them as much as I can.” Ryan feels blessed and fortunate because he never expected to lose this much weight. “Like I said before, this surgery is a tool. You can’t expect a miracle.” If weight-loss surgery is truly for you, what you can do is commit to the process and a new lifestyle. Then, like Ryan, you may have your own miracle in the making. Weighing heavy on knees. Each excess pound you carry adds nearly 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees. Source: The Arthritis Foundation Take the first step. Do it for yourself. Do it for your happy future. If you need help making lasting changes, call Adventist Health Bakersfield at 661‑869‑6580 . Adventist Health Bakersfield is an accredited bariatric surgery center. It has been jointly accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, which have combined forces to promote quality control through a rigorous review process.